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A “vision of Mary” promised it:

“The Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel has promised to save those who wear the scapular from the fires of hell; She will also shorten their stay in purgatory if they should pass from this world still owing some debt of punishment.

This promise is found in a Bull of Pope John XXII. The Blessed Virgin appeared to him and, speaking of those who wear the Brown Scapular, said, “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in purgatory I shall free so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting.””

http://www.sistersofcarmel.com/brown-scapular-information.php

As to getting out of or through Purgation "free," in a way that's trivial. The whole thing is free. "All the way to heaven is heaven," and heaven is free and unearned.

I wear a white scapular, not with any particular benefit in mind but because I'm a Lay Dominican and that's what we wear ... or a scapular medal ('cause a bit of cloth nestled in my breast in the summer in Virginia is ... well, no.) . I don't sit around wringing my hands because I can't wear the Carmelite scapular.

The article points out that praying for the dead seems to go way back. I generally pin my intercessory prayers on the proposition that the prayer of the righteous availeth much and that in Christ I am made righteous.

But HOW prayers assist in Purgation is beyond me. And even bulls and visionsnto the contrary notwithstanding (and visions, locutions, apparitions, and the like are NEVER de fide ,) it is not clear that Purgation is in a place or for a duration.

So it seems to me that the "bottom line" of wearing the brown scapular is that it is an appeal to Mary for the assistance of her prayers and an assertion that Mary's prayer avail much.